Slippity Slide
by ElleNorwoods
Summary: After moving all the way from England, Rey is sent to live in California with a grandfather she never knew. But instead of beaches near the sea and Hollywood hills. She lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere were the only interesting things are military bases. But when another family moves into town as well, secrets begin to unravel and Reys life might just be in danger.


Rey waited patiently at the back as the rest of the passengers began to depart the plane. The round-faced, cherry-cheeked flight attendant turned to smile at Rey before asking.

"Is this your first time here in California sweetheart?" The older woman was gathering her own luggage, a small leather brown wheeled suitcase. On the other hand, Rey simply held a small worn out barbie bag she had found in a gas station bathroom. She held the bottom tightly careful that none of her contents slipped from a rip in the bottom, she would rather carry around this backpack then greet her; her grandpa, with a black plastic bag full of clothes.

"Yeah, I'm going to be meeting my grandpa for the first time." Rey's long chestnut colored hair was pulled back into the odd hairdo of three loosely tied buns. Nervously she began to play with a loose strand.

"Well good luck, I hope you enjoy your time here in California!" The Stewardess than gently nudged Rey to walk forward once seeing that the rest of the passengers had left.

Unboarding the tunnel, Rey waved goodbye to the kind flight attendant. Looking around awkwardly she had no idea where she was or what to do then.

"Rey Kenobi?" She turned to look at a short dark-skinned woman, her eyes big and rounded glasses making her look like an owl. She wore a cardigan and orange pants, holding a present in her hands.

"It's just Rey…" The woman chuckled and shook her head.

"Not anymore dear, It's Kenobi now; your grandfather changed it. By the way, I'm Maz Kanata, just Maz for you." Rey raised a brow and discreetly as possible searched the waiting area for a man that perhaps looked somewhat like her. "Don't worry sweetheart, your grandfather was simply feeling a bit under weather today and sent me to pick you up; I practically had to tie him into bed, he was insistent in coming to get you himself you know, but in the end, he agreed to stay." Rey nodded, a bit too awkward to anything more, her mind was racing with questions and curiosity. Especially when they got outside to the parking garage.

Rey had only been once to London, and in reality that didn't count. A year before she came to California, Unkar Plutt begrudgingly drove the two of them down to a London court so Unkar could sign the adoption papers, but even that took longer to get through the system and for her grandfathers request to be accepted.

Los Angeles was an amazing city, it was fast-paced and full of life. With towering glass buildings, colorful shops mixed with different cultures. If this was where Rey would be spending the rest of her life, she would certainly be looking forward to it.

"Where does my grandpa live?" Rey turned to look out the windows as they passed some apartment complexes.

"Oh just some two hours away, it's a bit of a ride there but the view is beautiful; that is if you aren't like me and have seen it thousands of times before and before." The short woman laughed. Rey, on the other hand, was confused, two hours for what? Was there another city two hours away. The only places she had heard about in California was Hollywood and Beverly Hills, other than that she was basically blind to the places in California.

* * *

After two hours in a hard car seat, staring out into the plain mountains. With the only entertaining thing being the radio. Rey was mentally exhausted, along with her butt that began to feel a bit numb from eleven hours on a plane and two more in a car.

"Don't fret Rey, we're almost there. Once we pass that sign there we're finally in Rosamond. Then you can go to sleep!" That peaked her interest.

"Will I be staying on a couch?" Rey asked.

"Well I hope not, your grandfather will probably have a room set up for you," Maz answered trying to reassure the young girl.

As they passed through the sleepy town, a large park which seemed the only place that had living trees, Mexican markets, and murals. A shopping center near an empty bridge with the highway underneath still bustling. They drove over some railroad tracks until they made it to a Mobile Home park close to the edge of town. With only some apartments, a church and a few houses plotted around it.

Maz punched in a code, making a buzzing sound before the community gates began to slide open.

"We're almost there Rey." That's when she began to feel her stomach churn, her anxiety settling into the pits of her stomachs. What if this stranger of a grandfather finally met her and didn't want her anymore?

"Rey are you okay? You seem a bit green-"Maz never got to finish her sentence as Rey opened up her pink Barbie bag and puked up everything that she had eaten on the plane. Forgetting about the rip at the bottom, some of the puke slipped onto her 'best' pair of jeans that she had worn especially for today.

"Oh Rey! Sweetheart are you okay!" Maz stopped the car suddenly, reaching into the back seat to hand her a grocery store tote bag. "Just release your stomach into that, I'm going to start the car back up again and get us there alright Rey? Just hold on for a bit." In five minutes flat they were both standing outside the mobile home. Maz walked in front of Rey, firmly knocking on the door. There was some shuffling behind the door before it was swung open by a white-bearded man wearing a brown bathrobe. The two stared at each other for a silent moment.

"Hey, old Ben; you owe me a new grocery tote bag." He simply nodded not saying anything. "Well goodnight you two, it was nice meeting you Rey; I hope you will like it here." She patted her hand before walking down the porch and slipping inside her old bug.

"Hello...Rey…" The girl seemed to truly earn her name. She might have come from the cloudy place known as England, but her skin was still tan and freckled, wide hazel eyes. "Come in, come in. It gets a bit cold out at night." He moved out of the way letting his granddaughter inside. "Sorry I couldn't receive you at the airport, this afternoon I was feeling under the weather. But I did make us dinner and I arranged your bedroom; even though I didn't really know what to get you, if you want tomorrow we can go to the store and you can decorate your room however you want." As he rambled on a bit, somehow losing all his confidence, he showed Rey her bedroom. It was small with only a desk, a bed and a dresser in the corner of the bedroom. Rey was silent for a moment taking it all in, the sick feeling in her tummy disappearing.

"Thank you…" She turned to him trying desperately to hold her tears in. He sent back a smile, his eyes so peaceful.

"It is nothing, now I'll leave you alone so you can change, but come back out for dinner alright; Rey?" she nodded and watched him close the door before letting out a squeal and letting herself drop onto the bed, stretching out and grasping the soft blanket in between her hands. She was finally out of her tiny little world in a run-down orphanage and into the very jaws of the world, which would begin tomorrow with her first day of high school that is.


End file.
